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"Five minutes each week that might change your life."
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132 people had a breakthrough last week. Read this newsletter on MarkManson.net.
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TWO THINGS FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT
“The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
Underrated life skill: knowing when to give up.
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Reflect: Then consider sharing this thought with others.
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TWO THINGS FOR YOU TO ASK YOURSELF
What are you still holding onto that you already know isn't working?
What happens if you give it up?
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Recommended: Use these as journaling prompts for the week.
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ONE THING FOR YOU TO TRY THIS WEEK
Let go of one thing you've been refusing to give up on. Reply and tell me what that feels like.
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Remember: Small changes lead to lasting breakthroughs. Reply to this email and let me know how it went.
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Give Up on the Drama
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LAST WEEK'S BREAKTHROUGHS
In last week’s newsletter, I asked you to do one thing today that the person you want to be tomorrow would be proud of.
Our first reader respected their body’s limits:
“Today I trained in a way that lets me train again tomorrow.
I am on a fitness journey. Trying to build a strong body and mind, and a dump truck booty. Yesterday I picked up a minor back strain. Nothing serious, but instead of going in full noise this morning, I adjusted my session and chose injury prevention over ego.
I am learning that you don’t build strength or consistency with one heroic workout. You build it by being able to show up again tomorrow, and the day after.
It’s not about the workout that proves something today, but the one that lets me keep building tomorrow. And that is something tomorrow me can be proud of.”
Our next reader is prioritizing their time:
“I enjoy spending time with myself when I have enough time. The newsletter this week made me consider how much of my time I spend on people or things I don't really care about (my job, coworkers' tasks, etc.). I need and want to be a dependable human, that is true, but I don't need to take responsibility for others' work or actions.
This week, I will make a conscious effort before saying ‘yes’ to determine if what I'm accepting is either a) truly my responsibility, or b) something I truly care about and aligns with my values.
I already did this once today, and it felt amazing.”
Finally, Nima is actively loving herself:
“Today, I chose to take care of myself the way I would take care of someone I deeply love. Just like I wouldn’t want my partner or my child to put poison into their body—mentally or physically—I try to give myself the same level of care and respect. That means choosing things that support a calmer mind, better health, and a better mood, rather than quick dopamine hits from sugar or endless scrolling.
So today I did the small things I know matter: I stayed off social media, I meditated, went for a walk after my meals, trained my body, and ended the day by writing down what I’m grateful for. None of these are dramatic on their own, but together they help me live with more balance, less comparison, and more peace. Small changes really do add up—and this is the kind of person I want to keep becoming.”
As always, send your breakthroughs by simply replying to this email. Let me know if you’d prefer to remain anonymous.
Until next week,
Mark Manson
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
My Website – My Books – My YouTube Channel – My Podcast
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WHAT ELSE AM I WORKING ON?
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FOLLOW FOR MORE
Want to share this newsletter via text, social, or email? Simply copy and paste the following link: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough/206-giving-up
If you were forwarded this message, sign up to receive it each week here. It’s free. I never spam.
About this newsletter: You are receiving this email because you signed up to my free newsletter. Each week, I send you a few powerful ideas, a few questions to ask yourself, and a few things to try in your life. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter and all other updates from me, you can unsubscribe here.
Disclaimer: By sending your breakthrough you are giving us your explicit consent to process the data and share it with our newsletter subscribers, MarkManson.net website visitors and on social media, including any sensitive data such as information regarding mental health, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation. You may opt out and/or request deletion of the data at any time. You acknowledge that once we have shared your breakthrough with the other email subscribers we can no longer delete the data from their mailboxes.
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